Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Mormons in the Crossroads

[MikeWaters]

Crappy paper I wrote for a class, but thought maybe someone would be interested in it.

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Embryonic Stem Cell Research:
Mormons in the Crossroads in America

Mike Waters, M.D.

The current political debate on embryonic stem cell research was touched off by President George Bush’s decision in 2001 that federal research would be restricted to only existing embryonic stem cell lines, and that funds could not be used to 1) derive stem cell lines from newly destroyed embryos, 2) create an embryo for research purposes, or 3) clone human embryos.1
Embryonic stem cell research has become an increasingly partisan topic, with Democrats favoring it, and most Republicans opposed (including President Bush). It has been reported that the Democrats support of embryonic stem cell research was a key to their success in the last national election cycle. On the other hand, opposition of embryonic stem cell research from American religious groups has been a key force in the Republican party’s continued reluctance to support this research.
In this paper, I will examine this debate by looking at how one religious group has approached the issue: the Mormons. This will allow us to get a unique take on how one particular group approaches coming to a moral consensus.
The word “Mormon” is a nickname used to refer to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In brief, the Mormon church was started in 1830 by Joseph Smith in New York state. Eventually, Brigham Young led his followers to what would become the state of Utah in 1846. Today the Mormon church claims close to 13 million worldwide members. According to the 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, published by the National Council of Churches USA, the Mormon church is the second-fastest growing religion in the United States.2
Why choose the Mormon church? There are two reasons. One, the esteemed Yale literary critic Harold Bloom has called the Mormon church a uniquely American religion, meaning that it is suffused with the ideas and character of Americans, somewhat apart from earlier religious traditions.3 Understanding Mormons, may in some part help us in understanding Americans. Second, by way of disclosure, I am a member of the Mormon church, and therefore the topic has personal interest to me.
The official policy of the Mormon church per the ruling First Presidency (composed of the President and his two counselors) is as follows:
“The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not taken a position regarding the use of embryonic stem cells for research purposes. The absence of a position should not be interpreted as support for or opposition to any other statement made by Church members, whether they are for or against embryonic stem cell research.”4
This statement contrasts with the Catholic church, which has vigorously opposed embryonic stem cell research.5, 6
If the Mormon church has not taken an official position, is there a way to glean a behind-the-scenes look at the views of the hierarchy? Some Mormon politicians are particularly close to Mormon leaders, and their political positions are usually representative of Mormon leaders.
I compiled a list of all Mormon Senators and members of the House of Representatives. Among the Mormon Senators, four out of the five support federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Among the Congressional Representatives, only two of eight support federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. As far as breakdown by party, the two democrats support federal funding, while seven of the eleven republicans support it.
The Senators are much more influential in the Mormon community than the Representatives. Senator Hatch (Republican – Utah) is particularly well known and influential, and has been a leading proponent of funding for embryonic stem cell research. He states that “I have never believed that life begins in a Petri dish,” meaning that he does not believe that an embryo created through in vitro fertilization should be considered a person with moral rights. He also makes the very practical argument that if we delay “other countries could take the leading role in medicine’s next great advance.” Lastly he makes a utilitarian argument that this kind of research has great potential in fighting disease: “stem cell research could potentially be the scientific advance that takes the practice of medicine not just to the next level, but to five or ten levels above and beyond.”7
An article from Slate.com in 2001 states that “the LDS [Mormon] church, not the Vatican, is playing the pivotal role in the struggle over stem cells.” The article goes on to describe the Mormon position on abortion, which suggests that abortion is not the killing of a human being, but “like unto it.” Senator Gordon Smith (Republican – Oregon) said in the Senate about the Genesis account of creation in the Bible, “This allegory of creation describes a two-step process of life, one of the flesh, the other of the spirit.” He compared embryos to “the dust of the earth—they are essential to life, but standing alone, will never constitute life.” The author of the article says that “Hatch and Smith have become the leaders of a movement within the Republican Party to urge President Bush to fund embryonic stem-cell research.”8
As much as possible, I attempted to determine what sort of reasoning Mormon politicians used in coming to their respective positions on this issue. Unfortunately, most of what I could find was of the sound byte variety, as is commonly seen in the media when the topic comes up. In my experience news accounts rarely stray from quotes such as “this research can save lives” and “we respect the sanctity of life.”
Senator Bob Bennett (Republican – Utah) supports embryonic stem cell research by employing a utilitarian argument: “I believe it provides great hope for the many Americans affected by debilitating diseases today.”9 Interestingly, while Senator Bennett now favors this research, in 2001 he was listed as “undecided.”10
On the other hand, Senator Mike Crapo (Republican – Idaho) favored the research in 2001,10 but now opposes it in 2007.11 He says, “I have concerns with any legislation that would federally fund the destruction of embryos for research. We don’t have to choose between science and ethics with the vast amounts of promising results coming from adult and alternative stem cell research.”11 Senator Crapo does not tell us what his exact “concerns” are, but he argues that in a morally ambiguous situation, we should turn to morally clear alternatives. Unfortunately, I have not found documentation as to why he has changed positions.
Senator Harry Reid (Democrat – Nevada), the Senate Majority Leader, has been a strong backer of embryonic stem cell research. He argues that this research will be beneficial to the “100 million Americans suffering from cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, heart disease, and ALS.”12 The only other Democratic Mormon member of congress, Representative Jim Matheson (Democrat – Utah), also supports funding this research. He makes a similar argument that it “holds tremendous promise for curing terrible diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes that cause so much heartbreak and suffering for thousands of Utah families.”13
Looking at some of the reasoning from other congressmen we see Rob Bishop (Republican – Utah) stating he is not willing to endorse “a policy that innocent life can be destroyed for utilitarian purposes.”14 Among these politicians it is rare to hear specific language related to ethics such as “utilitarian.” Chris Cannon, another Republican congressman from Utah says “we should not sacrifice life in the pursuit of science.”15
Jeff Flake (Republican – Arizona) has a slightly different take. He opposes federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, but doesn’t oppose the research itself. He says:
“My vote is not an indication of personal moral qualms about the research funded by this legislation, but rather the fact that federal funds are being directed to conduct such research…I would not vote to support a ban on privately funded research under similar parameters…Until we come to a greater consensus on the ethical bounds of embryonic stem cell research, we need to be mindful of those who are morally opposed to having their tax dollars used to fund such research. I believe the President has sought to strike such a balance, and I commend him for doing so.”16
Representative Flake is not ethically opposed to embryonic stem cell research; he prefers to be “mindful” of those that oppose it. His vote is not one of conscience, but rather an attempt to represent at least a portion of his constituency, that opposes this research. Unfortunately, Representative Flake does not state why he does not have “moral qualms.”
As we have seen so far, these politicians tend to stake out a position without fully explaining their ethical reasoning. Wally Herger (Republican – California) opposes funding and refers to “troubling ethical questions”17 but does not specify what those questions are.
In summary, the most influential Mormon politicians in Congress support funding for embryonic stem cell research, but in terms of absolute numbers, the detractors (seven) are more numerous than the supporters (six).
Mitt Romney, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, current presidential candidate and Mormon, has come against embryonic stem cell research which he calls “a serious, moral problem.” This is despite the fact that his wife suffers from multiple sclerosis, a disease thought to potentially one day be amenable to stem cell therapies.18 In 2006, he said, "I believe it crosses a very bright moral line to take sperm and eggs in the laboratory and start creating human life…It is Orwellian in its scope. In laboratories you could have trays of new embryos being created."19 Romney refers to an embryo as “human life” and uses the word “Orwellian” to conjure images from the classic book 1984. Romney’s language about the ethical questions involved in this research is the most specific. Clearly this contrasts with Senator Gordon Smith’s statement of embryos being like “the dust of the earth”, which implies little or no moral standing for the embryo. While Smith referred to a theology for his argument, it is not clear that Romney is also using theology as the basis of his beliefs. Romney’s sincerity regarding his views on controversial social issues has been challenged, as he has changed to more conservative views in the past few years, compared to his tenure as governor of Massachusetts.
Another proxy for the views of the Mormon hierarchy is the editorial opinion of the Deseret News newspaper in Salt Lake City, which is owned by the Mormon church. In 2001, the Deseret News had an editorial endorsing funding for embryonic stem cell research.10
In the absence of an official Mormon position on embryonic stem cell research, we can summarize the evidence to this point as mixed. The most influential Mormon politicians as well as the Mormon-owned Deseret News newspaper all favor this research. Other national Mormon politicians oppose it. For a church that is usually very socially conservative, prominent Mormons are surprisingly supportive of embryonic stem cell research. Are there reasons beyond what has been enunciated politically? I would argue that yes, there are.
The official Mormon position on abortion says that in the case of incest, rape, where the fetus is not expected to survive after birth or where the life of the mother is endangered, abortion is permitted. Elective abortion to terminate pregnancy for other reasons (e.g. birth control) is not permitted. This position, some may say, argues that the moral status of the fetus is different depending on how it was conceived. That is, a fetus that is the result of rape would have less moral worth than a fetus conceived through voluntary means.
If one can ethically justify termination of a perfectly healthy fetus, it becomes very difficult to argue that a frozen embryo cannot be destroyed. Or in other words, if one can conceive of a healthy fetus not having moral worth sufficient to prevent its destruction, how can one categorically oppose the destruction of an embryo that exists outside the womb?
It is therefore possible that official Mormon opposition of embryonic stem cell research would muddy the waters regarding its ethically ambiguous position on abortion. Just as the Mormon church is willing to “compromise” on abortion, it is also willing to hold the middle ground in the embryonic stem cell research debate, it would seem.
To further understand Mormon views on this debate, I informally polled members of an internet sports message board that is frequented by mostly Mormons. Many reported that they favored the research as long as only embryos that would be destroyed anyway were used. One person supported embryonic stem cell research on the basis of his theological interpretations. Just like Senator Gordon Smith implied, he believes that human life begins with the first breath. Curious about how far he would take this position, I asked him if he would consider it murder to kill an infant in the second or two after birth, but before the first breath. He said he would not consider it murder. When I told another person that some people oppose embryonic stem cell research using ethical reasoning, and not religious arguments, he was surprised. This goes to the dichotomy that we often see in the media, where opposition to embryonic stem cell research is conflated with religion. Not surprisingly, many reported not feeling very informed or educated on the issue. I also got the impression that it is not considered a “hot-button” topic; it was hard to generate a discussion on the issue. In contrast, impassioned debates about abortion are not uncommon on this sports message board.
Do Mormons, as compared to members of other religions, have a particularly pro-science viewpoint? Ronald M. Green, in Religion in the News, makes an interesting point about Mormons:
“It’s important to recognize that the Latter-day Saints have a tradition of support for scientific and biomedical research stemming from their roots in the optimistic, technology-inclined environment of mid-nineteenth-century America. Mormons also believe that human souls are in progress toward a deified existence on other worlds. These and other factors tend to make them enthusiastic about forms of technological advance, from space exploration to genetic research.
Such attitudes show the necessity of understanding a religious tradition’s formal teachings in the context of its overall ‘bioethical sensibility., Not doing so can lead to a serious misreading of a tradition’s response to an urgent bioethical issue.”20
If Mr. Green is correct, then Mormon optimism about scientific progress may lead to increased support from Mormons and the Mormon hierarchy.
While the Mormon hierarchy presents a unified front, it is clear from historical accounts that the President and the Apostles have disagreed on important social issues.21 One example of this was the prohibition of Black Mormons from receiving the Priesthood, which was available to all non-black Mormons. It was not until 1978 that full consensus was achieved. While the Mormon church has no official position on embryonic stem cell research, a position may emerge when the President, his counselors, and the Apostles have reached consensus.
If we are to extrapolate from Mormons to Americans in general, given our premise that Mormonism is a uniquely American religion, we can perhaps conclude the following:
1. Arguments supporting and opposing embryonic stem cell research are not couched in the language of ethics, and are often boiled down to very simple statements such as “I support research that helps people that suffer” or “I don’t think it respects life.” People who support and oppose embryonic stem cell research may do so for idiosyncratic reasons not grounded in ethics theory.
2. There is no clear consensus among opinion leaders and the general public, although polling results show that a majority of Americans support funding for embryonic stem cell research.22
3. While some commentators have said that this is the great moral issue of our times, and political pundits have remarked on the democrats using their pro-funding stance to their benefit in the last election cycle, there seems to be neither a) a broad understanding of the issue nor b) even interest in the issue.
It is interesting to observe that while the embryonic stem cell research issue seems to be on an inevitable march to acceptance, abortion appears to be headed towards increasing restriction. One of the differences between the two issues is that one practice was instituted through the judiciary (Roe vs Wade), while the other plays out in the legislatures. It would be very destructive for the embryonic stem cell research debate if it were decided in the Supreme Court of the United States, and not in the court of public opinion.
It will be interesting to see if Mormons reach a consensus on the issue, and if that consensus mirrors that of the American people.






Reference List

(1) Office of The White House. Fact Sheet: Embryonic Stem Cell Research. The White House, President George W Bush 2001 August 9;Available at: URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/relea...0010809-1.html. AccessedApril 16, 2007.
(2) Valerie Housley. LDS Church second-fastest growing religion in the nation. BYU Newsnet 2006 July 31;Available at: URL: http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/60538.
(3) Harold Bloom. The American Religion: The Eemergence of The Post-Christian Nation. Simon & Schuster; 1993.
(4) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Embryonic Stem-cell Research. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2007;Available at: URL: http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/ind...vgnextfmt=tab1.
(5) Catholic bishops condemn passage of embryonic stem-cell bill by 'dazzled' U.S. Senate. Catholic Online 2007 April 12;Available at: URL: http://www.catholic.org/national/nat...y.php?id=23741.
(6) Stem-cell Research and the Catholic Church. AmericanCatholic org 2007;Available at: URL: http://www.americancatholic.org/News/StemCell/.
(7) HATCH INTRODUCES HUMAN CLONING BAN, STEM CELL RESEARCH ACT. Off ice of United States Senator Orrin G Hatch 2005 April 21;Available at: URL: http://hatch.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fu...th=4&Year=2005.
(8) Drew Clark. The Mormon Stem-Cell Choir. Slate com 2001 August 3;Available at: URL: http://slate.msn.com/id/112974/.
(9) Senator Bennett Votes To Support Stem Cell Research Bills. Office of United States Senator Bob Bennett 2007 April 12;Available at: URL: http://www.senate.gov/~bennett/press....cfm?id=272260.
(10) Jim Woolf. 4 of 5 LDS Senators Taking Stand In Support of Stem Cell Research. The Salt Lake Tribune 2001 July 19;Available at: URL: http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/J...lResearch.html.
(11) Stem Cell Research. Office of United States Senator Mike Crapo 2007 April 17;Available at: URL: http://crapo.senate.gov/issues/stem_cell/stem_cells.cfm.
(12) REID: ONE YEAR IS TOO LONG TO WAIT FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH. Office of the United States Senator Harry Reid 2006 May 4;Available at: URL: http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/reco...48&&year=2006&.
(13) Matheson Supports Bipartisan Stem Cell Research Bill. Office of Utah Congressman Jim Matheson 2006 July 19;Available at: URL: http://www.house.gov/matheson/press2006/060719.html.
(14) Kathy Kiely. Bill's backers predict end to stem cell limits. USA Today 2007;Available at: URL: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...tem-cell_x.htm.
(15) Cannon Statement on Embryonic Stem Cell Legislation. Office of Utah Congressman Chris Cannon 2007;Available at: URL: http://chriscannon.house.gov/Press_2007/01-11-2007.htm.
(16) Congressman Flake Issues Statement on Vote to Uphold President's Veto on Federal Funds for Stem Cell Research. Office of Congressman Jeff Flake 2006 July 19;Available at: URL: http://www.house.gov/hensarling/rsc/...emcellveto.doc.
(17) Herger Opposes Taxpayer Funding of Controversial Stem Cell Research. Office of Congressman Wally Herger 2007 January 11;Available at: URL: http://www.house.gov/herger/pdf/pr1-...icResearch.pdf.
(18) Mitt Romney Backs Adult Stem Cell Research. Newsmax com 2007 February 20;Available at: URL: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2...20/72851.shtml.
(19) Mitt Romney Warns of 'Orwellian' Stem Cell Research. Newsmax com 2006 August 31;Available at: URL: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2...1/170405.shtml.
(20) Ronald M.Green. The Stem Cell Conundrum. Religion in the News 2001;Available at: URL: http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/csrpl/...stem%20cell.ht.
(21) Gregory A.Prince, Wm Robert Wright. David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. University of Utah Press; 2005.
(22) Science and Nature. pollingreport com 2007;Available at: URL: http://www.pollingreport.com/science.ht.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by InVinoVeritas

"To further understand Mormon views on this debate, I informally polled members of an internet sports message board that is frequented by mostly Mormons."


Most reliable research on the planet.

LOL. Like I said, I was submitting this using the least amount of effort possible!

[UtahDan]

You must have had a tough time deciding whether we were "in the crossroads" or "at the crosshairs." How DID you chose?

[MikeWaters]

crossroads, because there is no serious debate going on with the American people, much less focus on Mormon politicians.

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

crossroads, because there is no serious debate going on with the American people, much less focus on Mormon politicians.

Either I'm too subtle or youare ignoring the jab. I'll assume the former. Isn't it "at a crossroads" or "in the crosshairs?" Isn't "in the crossroads" in incorrect combination of the two?

You're a famous guy. You gotta try not to embarass yourself.

[MikeWaters]

yeah you are probably right.

I didn't run this article past my editor. big mistake!